Feb 29, 2008

At our last gathering in January Plumbago zeylanica or Native plumbago was located.Although it is on our plant list, we had not found it since we started our group. It is probably easier to find when it is in flower in January.

The first meeting of this group was held in June 2006 when a survey of plants was done. We checked this off against a plant list compiled by Martin Bennett.

Since then a group has met regularly with continuing support from Steve Plant and Crows Nest Shire council. Our main task has been to remove asparagus vineAsparagus plumosus which had taken over the canopy, while the council has dealt with other weeds including lantana. There has also been some rubbish removal undertaken, and some planting.

Where is Franke Scrub?

From Toowoomba, follow signs which take you north out of the city on the New England Highway towards Crows Nest. On reaching Highfields, (a little over 4 k from Blue Mountain Heights), turn left at the traffic lights into Cawdor Road. After approx. 1.6k, turn left into Cawdor Drive, then after approx. 2.2k, turn right into FrankeRoad. Continue off the end of the bitumen for several hundred metres. The dirt road is suitable for ordinary 2-wheel drive vehicles and there is room to park on the other side of the Scrub.

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About Franke Road remnant scrub

A council road reserve protected by legislation which prevents clearing of road reserves. It is a length of deep creek bed with a diverse flora of old-growth dry rainforest trees and shrubs including the threatened Tarenna tree Tarenna cameronii and uncommon Orangebark tree Maytenus disperma.Euphorbiaceae and Sapindaceae dominate the vegetation.As a good remnant of the dry rainforest scrub which covered a lot of this area before closer settlement, Crows Nest Council received Natural Heritage Trust funding for its protection in 2006.